It’s Time for Canada to Put Brain Health on the Ballot
In the upcoming federal election, brain health must be on the agenda.
One in five Canadians lives with a brain condition. From Alzheimer’s to mental illness to concussions, brain disorders are the leading cause of disability in Canada. They also cost the healthcare system and economy tens of billions of dollars each year.
Beyond the numbers, nearly every Canadian knows someone — a parent, a child, a colleague — whose life has been altered by a brain condition. The impact ripples through families, workplaces, and communities.
That makes brain health more than a healthcare issue. It’s a kitchen-table issue.
Canadians are mobilizing for brain health
Across the country, Canadians are rallying behind Vote for Brain Health, a national campaign launching today alongside Brain Awareness Week. This movement is calling on all federal parties to make brain health a priority in their election platforms.
People may not use the term brain health every day, but they feel its impact deeply. They talk about dementia in aging parents, the brain fog that lingers after illness, the mental health struggles affecting their children, and the growing burden of addiction in their communities. They want solutions. They want action.
The good news? The world is at a turning point in brain research. Breakthroughs for Alzheimer’s, depression, and stroke—just to name a few—are within reach. The countries that invest now will see enormous social and economic benefits in the coming decades. Canada should be one of them.
That’s why the Canadian Brain Research Strategy (CBRS) — a coalition of more than 40 neuroscience and mental health institutes, funders, health charities, industry leaders, Indigenous Knowledges Holders, and patient advocacy groups — has worked together to develop a roadmap for Canada’s brain research future. This plan is ready to transform research into treatments that improve lives.
Now, policymakers need to get on board.
A Federal Commitment to Brain Health in 2025
Canadians are calling on policymakers to commit to a Canadian Brain Research Initiative — a $150 million investment over three years to coordinate research, accelerate breakthroughs, and translate discoveries into treatments.
A Canadian Brain Research Initiative is smart because:
- Excellence needs coordination: A national initiative is needed to unite individual discoveries into collective solutions, ensuring Canada’s research efforts work together for greater impact.
- Breakthroughs are within reach: Advances in prevention, treatment, and cures depend on strategic investment to bring innovation to reality.
- Investing in the Future: A commitment to brain research today secures the Canadian talent to drive new discoveries for better brain health — now and for generations to come.
This isn’t just an ambition, it’s a plan backed by years of national consultation and a clear roadmap. The House of Commons Finance Committee has already recommended funding a national brain research initiative in Budget 2025. The groundwork is in place — now policymakers must act.
Canada has the ingredients. Now it needs leadership
From Dr. Wilder Penfield’s pioneering neurosurgery to Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize-winning contributions to AI, Canada has been a leader in brain science. Today, Canadian scientists are helping drive some of the world’s most transformative breakthroughs.
Canada has also strategically invested in AI, quantum science, and biomanufacturing as pillars of its innovation strategy. But brain research has yet to receive the same level of national coordination, despite its potential to transform health, industry, and the workforce.
We have all the ingredients to be a global powerhouse in brain research and a model for a nation that puts brain health first, demonstrating what’s possible when brain health is prioritized at every level of society.
The missing piece? Federal leadership.
A Canadian Brain Research Initiative would connect the dots, turning isolated discoveries into real-world benefits for all Canadians.
The time to lead is now
The upcoming federal election will shape Canada’s direction for years to come. Policymakers who champion brain health will be backing a movement that benefits all Canadians; our families, our economy, and our future.
Brain health is a growing crisis. But it is a crisis we can see coming. We also have the science, the expertise, and a roadmap to tackle it before it worsens.
Making brain health a national priority is about building a stronger, healthier, and more resilient Canada.
The countries that invest in brain health today will lead the world tomorrow. Let’s make sure Canada is one of them.
---
Jennie Z. Young, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the Canadian Brain Research Strategy